Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

The report provides updated information on how the Neighbourhood Teams and Climate Change Neighbourhood Officers are supporting local communities to engage in local climate change activity and reduce their carbon footprint. This report includes an update on ward level Climate Change Action Plans and an update on the In Our Nature programme pilot schemes and future delivery of the programme.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) that provided updated information on how the Neighbourhood Teams and Climate Change Neighbourhood Officers were supporting local communities to engage in local climate change activity and reduce their carbon footprint.

The report included an update on ward level Climate Change Action Plans and an update on the In Our Nature programme pilot schemes and future delivery of the programme.

Key points and themes in the report included:

·         Providing an update on ward level Climate Change Action Plans;

·         Examples of developing best practice to support local communities to deliver activities that contributed to the city’s ambition of becoming a net zero carbon city by 2038;

·         An update on the In Our Nature programme pilot schemes and future delivery of the programme;

·         Community engagement and awareness raising update, noting that the Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) provided local communities with funding to make their neighbourhoods better places to live. £20,000 of NIF was available for each ward in Manchester to help groups deliver events and initiatives that benefited the community;

·         Examples of the work delivered with children and young people across the city;

·         Describing initiatives on active travel, clean air and transport;

·         The consideration and approach to inclusivity and diversity;

·         An update on the communications campaign; and

·         Conclusions and priorities for the next twelve months.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         Good practice and lessons learnt should be shared across Neighbourhood Teams working in wards;

·         Recognising the need to maximise the impact and outcomes of this work whilst recognising the differences and challenges experienced by different neighbourhoods; and

·         Noting feedback from residents in relation to ward level Climate Change Action Plans it was proposed to establish a Task and Finish Group, chaired by Cllr Wright to evaluate the plans and the associated Key Performance Indicators and other meaningful outcome measurements and reporting.

The Neighbourhoods Strategic Lead advised the Committee that an event had been recently held that brought staff from the different Neighbourhood Teams together to share their experiences and lessons learnt. She advised that this had been a very productive exercise and the intention was to repeat this periodically. She further advised that an outcome of this exercise was to create a library of best practice that would act as a resource for officers. The Head of Neighbourhoods advised that a similar event would be arranged for Members in the new year.

The Head of Neighbourhoods advised that there was challenge in providing ward specific emissions data, however work was underway with the Tyndall Centre and the Climate Change Partnership to develop more detailed analysis and modelling of this in the 6 areas where the Our Nature project had been delivered. She further referred to the CREDS online tool as useful resource for local groups and Councillors.

The Deputy Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods addressed the Committee and made reference to the work that was being delivered in his ward. He stated that it was important that businesses were actively engaged on the issue of climate change, in particular in regard to waste and litter.

The Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods stated that Neighbourhood Officers were a vital link to communities, noting that they engaged with residents on a host of various issues however everything was underpinned by addressing climate change. She commented that she recognised that ward level Climate Change Action Plans needed to be led and informed by residents and they should respond to the concerns and ambitions of those residents, adding that these also needed to be culturally responsive and appropriate. She further commented that staff in the Neighbourhood Teams were pivotal in bringing groups and services together at a local level and an update on this activity could be provided to Committee at a future meeting.

The Deputy Executive Member for Environment and Transport stated that it was important to listen to and respond to the concerns of young people on the issue of climate change. She further paid tribute to the Manchester Climate Change Youth Board noting that they would be hosting a Youth Climate Change Conference, Saturday 12 November 2022.

The Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods and the Committee paid tribute and appreciation to all of the staff working on behalf of our residents in the Neighbourhood Teams.

Decision

To recommend that a Task and Finish Group, chaired by Cllr Wright be established to evaluate the ward level Climate Change Action Plans and the associated Key Performance Indicators and other meaningful outcome measurements and reporting.